Nify Benny Journal of Engineering Research and Application www.ijera.com ISSN : 2248-9622 Vol. 9,Issue 3 (Series -VI) March 2019, pp 19-27 RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS A Study of Groundwater Quality of Cheranallur Panchayath of Kochi, South India Nify Benny1,Salas PM,2Mary Margret T R1, Nisha Lilys K J1 1 Department of Chemistry,St. Albert’s College (Autonomous), Ernakulam, Pin-682018 2 Department of Chemical Oceanography, School of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology,Kochi- 682016. Corresponding Author: Nify Benny ABSTRACT Ground water from fifteen stations of three zones (Chittoor, Edayakunnam and Cheranellur zones) in Cheranellur Panchayath of Kochi, South India was collected during the premonsoon and post monsoon 2016 to understand the quality of water for drinking purposes. It was found that the chloride content varied from 6.6 to 46.2 mg/l and electrical conductivity ranged between 0.04 and 1 microS/Co. Total hardness showes its maximum abundance as 238 mg/L, meanwhile Calcium and Magnesium exhibited their higher abundance as 81.6 mg/L and 11.7 mg/L respectively. The total dissolved solids in study area showed its maximum concentration at Chittoor zone (519 mg/L). The iron content maximum obtained recorded as 1.8 mg/L (Edayakunnam zone). While comparing the three zones, Cheranellur zone showes all the parameters in very low concentration. The study revealed that all the analytical parameters in the water samples does not overcome the permissible limit prescribed for drinking purposes [1]. Besides this, analysis of Coliform bacteria of all water samples except two samples from Edayakunnam zone provided negative results. While comparing the three zones, Chittoor and Cheranellur zone is more pure than Edayakunnam zone. Hence the overall assessment pointed out that ground water in the Cheranellur Panchayath is good for drinking and domestic purposes. Key words:chlorides, coliformbacteria, iron,total dissolved solids, total hardness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 30-03-2019 Date of acceptance: 13-04-2019 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. INTRODUCTION India) is getting deteriorated due to the fast growth Ground water is an essential and vital of urbanization and industrialisation. The closure of component of our life support system. The ground several water bodies due to land development and water resources are being utilized for drinking, construction prevents infiltration of rainwater into irrigation and industrial purposes. Ground water is the ground and hence recharge the aquifers. Most generally considered as a safe source of fresh of the aquifers are getting polluted from the drinking water. Quality of ground water is industrial effluents and chemicals and fertilizers influenced by the anthropogenic activities. For used in agriculture. Such serious issues require example, overexploitation of ground water in proper monitoring of groundwater and steps are to coastal regions may result in sea water ingress and be taken for remedial measures. Hence the present consequent increase in salinity of ground water. investigation for quality assessment of the ground Furthermore, excessive use of fertilizers and water isessential for maintaining the purity of pesticides in agriculture and improper disposal of drinking water of the study area. In this study, an urban/industrial waste can cause contamination of attempt has been made i) to evaluate the ground ground water resources. Generally, the physico- water quality of Cheranellur panchayath chemical and biological characteristics of (Ernakulum, Kerala, India) with respect to the groundwater in a particular area is determined by seasonal changes, ii) to investigate the presence of the natural - geologicalformations, weathering, iron and total Coliforms bacteria in the study area, dissolution, precipitation, ion exchange and and iii) to find out interrelationship between the biological processes as well as anthropogenic ground water parameters. activities. Often groundwater is being contaminated by non-point (agricultural, urban runoff) and point 1.1 Study area sources (sewage, industrial effluents disposal) in The study area "Fig. 1"Cheranellur Grama many developing countries including India. The panchayath belongs to the Kanayannur Taluk of ground water quality in Ernakulam district (Kerala, Ernakulam district in Kerala state of India in www.ijera.com DOI: 10.9790/9622- 0903061927 19 | P a g e Nify Benny Journal of Engineering Research and Application www.ijera.com ISSN : 2248-9622 Vol. 9,Issue 3 (Series -VI) March 2019, pp 19-27 between East 76°16' 31.89" E -76° 17 ' 3.63" E confident about the ground water they are longitudes and North 10° 1' 49.38" N -10° 4' 7.986" depending on. So they don't have to depend on N latitudes. It extending from Vaduthala to water supply systems. But most of them have not Cheranallur occupying an area of 10.59 sq. km. conducted any quality tests for water. The study area is surrounded by Kochi corporation and Kalamassery municipality in the south, Eloor 1.1.2 Edayakkunnam Zone: municipality and Varapuzha grama panchayath in Edayakunnam region consists of six the north, Kalamassery municipality and Eloor Grama panchayath wards (No. 7, 9, 11,12,13 and municipality in the east and Kadamakkudy, 14), in which containing five sampling stations Varapuzha and Kochi Corporation in the west. Its namely Edayakunnam Church (E1), Cheranellur population exceeds 30595 which includes 15157 Panchayath office (E2), Edayakunnam Bridge (E3), men and 15437 women. It consists of 17 wards and Jayakerala (E4) and Edayakkunnam Kappela (E5). falls in Edapally block, Kanayannur Taluk. A Most of the stations in this area weredeteriorated knowledge of ground water quality is required for a due to the influence of nearby paddy fields. These village like Cheranallur because recently, news has fields were became polluted by terrestrial activities. shown that during summ the locality is devoid of The leaching of this polluted water has given a foul drinking water and water supply is rare in the smell to the ground water sources. Staining of season. clothes and forming of deposits on storing water Cheranallur panchayat has been found to has been reported by women in this area. Therefore be the worst affected area since it is the dead end of the peoples in this area mainly depends on water the distribution system and so the residents are hit supply due to their doubt in the quality of their badly by water shortage. Due to the acute water water resources like wells and bore wells. scarcity during summer, people are forced to fetch water from distant places, in some cases they have 1.1.3 Cheranallur zone to use boats for this purpose. The water authority is This zone included five sampling points trying to supply water in tanker Lorries, but namely as Pallikkavala CH1), Vishnupuram unavailability of potable water is a big problem. (CH2), Kacheripadi CH3), Marapparambu (CH4) Also, people are not too confident about the quality and Kottaparambu (CH5) which is spread in the of water supplied to them in tankers. So people three Grama panchayath ward No. 1, 2 and 17 in have to depend on the ground water sources for Cheranellur Panchayath. The most of the people in their daily requirements. Studies have shown that this areadepends on open wells for their cooking the ground water in this area is polluted microbially and drinking purposes. and with metals especially iron. Hence a detailed analysis of water quality and remedial measures is II. MATERIALS AND METHODS required in this area, so that people can confidently Water samples from fifteen stations use their own water resources. located in the three zones (Chittoor, Edayakkunnam To provide a generalized outline of ground and Cheranallur zones) of the Cheranellur water quality, the entire study area has been panchayath, Ernakulam, India "Fig. 1"were categorized into three zones on the basis of their collected in two sampling campaigns: April 2016 topography and source of drinking water - Chittoor, (pre monsoon 2016: PRM16) and November 2016 Edayakkunnam and Cheranallur zones. The (post monsoon 2016: POM16). After the collection sampling stations in each zones are presented in of water samples, that was immediately transported "Table 1". to the laboratory for chemical analysis, using the regular water quality measures [2]. The pH and 1.1.1 Chittoor zone: electrical conductivity (EC) were determined in Chittoor region of Cheranallur panchayath situ using a portable pH meter (Eutech, pH Tester extends from the Vaduthala bridge to the Chittoor 10). The total dissolved solids (TDS) were ferry consisting of two Grama Panchayath wards calculated from EC [3]. The concentration of total numbering 8 and 10. In this region existing five hardness (TH) and calcium (Ca2+) weremeasured sampling points such as Thaipparambu (CT1), by using standard EDTA titration. Meanwhile, Chittoor village office (CT2), Chittoor temple Magnesium (Mg2+) wascalculated, using the (CT3), Chittoor retreat centre (CT4) and Chittoor concentration difference between TH and Ca2+. ferry (CT5). Study shows that Chittoor region is Chloride andtotal alkalinity was estimated by having good quality ground water and is still using Argentometric and acidimetric titration it for household as well as drinking purpose. They methodrespectively.